New Here

Welcome, I am also new and very inspired.  I am 64, grandma of one.   My daughter is my inspiration.   I have 20 lbs to lose and am ready.  

I'm a 54 year old Nana just starting as well. Also doing it for my grandbabies who are 2 and 4. High blood pressure and cholesterol so worried about eggs, etc. But I'm going to follow this for a month and then see my Doc. Hoping for the best! We got this ladies!

Well hello Nanas... I am a 68 year old Nana too with 6 grandchildren.  I am trying KETO because on all other "diets" I am perpetually hungry.  Would like to lose 4-5Kgs.  It's not a huge amount but have arthritis and dry eye and understand the KETO way of life will help alleviate inflammation and pain.  Am using this app diligently and it does drive me somewhat crazy.  Trying to get a hang of the recipes and not let it run my entire life.  We can do this Nanas!!  

I went off the keto wagon and now am back on sort of more of a low calorie diet as I too learned I have arthritis and a torn  meniscus, which is making life very painful. I am back here as a relative newbie and will be having bariatric by pass next week but will need to stay low carb the rest of my life, am looking for friends to share the journey with. 

Melsmom my mother had the bariatric by pass done about 20 years ago. It certainly helped her lose a tremendous amount of weight. From her experience here are a few things that she has had to live with.

1. Your stools are going to be runny and full of unprocessed foods and you Need to go a couple of times until your bowel is empty. So allow for extra time in the mornings so you don’t have accidents. (forever) 

2. If you don’t completely clean your bowel and you eat fatty or sugary foods you will have accidents          ( you could have them anyway)as it goes straight through you. Sometimes you might get caught out. Be prepared.

3. You will lack vitamins and minerals because most of what you eat by passes your stomach and intestines. Taking vitamins etc.... is a waste of time as most of them will go straight through you. Look for vitamin and mineral patches so these things are absorbed through you skin into your blood.

4. Eventually you may find that you will need iron, vitamin D and vitamin B injections or infusions. As she does regularly. She has her blood checked at least every 3 months.

5. Your liver readings will not be normal. Doctors might freak out but it is quite normal and of no real concern according to a liver specialist she went to. 

I don’t want to scare you and I’m not saying don’t do it. My mother probably would be dead by now had she had not have done it due to her obesity.

Please don’t go into this thinking that you can eat anything . You will lose weight ok but you will work out what foods are going to go straight to your bowel. Mum will have those foods because she likes them, but she makes sure she is going to be at home close to the toilet. 

I just wanted to share what I know, so you have your eyes fully open as your surgeon may not tell you or even be aware of these things. Good luck!

Rubyluxe I've been involved in a very strict program getting all sorts of training and advise and things are definitely different nowadays than when your mum had her surgery at least where I live, I have well researched this and am going to be in a support group both online and in person with nutritionists, Dr.s and nurses every 2 weeks guiding me through and teaching me what and how to eat so I don't get ill as your mom did, and I never went into it thinking when I came out that I could eat whatever I want! I am a diabetic and will have to watch carbs, including sugar and calories post op and for the rest of my life! I am excited I have a 2nd chance to get healthier than I've been in years, and my eyes are fully open!

Thanks for sharing your advise,

Rubyluxe I've been involved in a very strict program getting all sorts of training and advise and things are definitely different nowadays than when your mum had her surgery at least where I live, I have well researched this and am going to be in a support group both online and in person with nutritionists, Dr.s and nurses every 2 weeks guiding me through and teaching me what and how to eat so I don't get ill as your mom did, and I never went into it thinking when I came out that I could eat whatever I want! I am a diabetic and will have to watch carbs, including sugar and calories post op and for the rest of my life! I am excited I have a 2nd chance to get healthier than I've been in years, and my eyes are fully open! I have one of the best surgeons ever at New England Weight Management Institute and at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. This surgeon is one of the few who is willing to repair my 3 hernias without using plastic medical mesh on me, as most in this country only do mesh repairs and my body rejected it and has had all sorts of pain and trouble in the past. I feel blessed I found this program and surgeon and hope no one here ever lets anyone put plastic made with Polypropylene into their bodies, it leaches and causes cancer and gets contaminated, yet it's become the "gold standard" by many doctors around the world because it's cheap and easy to insert into people and folks do not have to be "thin" in order to get their hernias or bladders and other pelvic organs repaired. I am praying I will be able to get off my diabetes meds including insulin post op as well as other meds as many others have done. Once all the weight is off me my most difficult hernia will be repaired.  No doctors in the US or Canada will do the surgery on anyone who is overweight as they do  not last.  Since I am in danger of my intestines herniating I am especially motivated to listen and follow through on this surgery as the quality of my life has not been very good lately. Lastly I already am on vitamin D3 and other vitamins and know I will need to take them for the rest of my life, there are special chewables now designed for bariatric patients that work, check out Bariatric Fusion Chewables and also some others with the name Bariatric in them for your mum and also there are patches that may help some folks i bought some to see how I do initially including Vitamin D and folic acid.